This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to an adaptor which may be attached to an upright vacuum cleaner to permit a flexible hose and extension tools to be connected to the vacuum cleaner to permit above-the-floor cleaning.
Vacuum cleaners of the upright variety generally include a head member having an elongated nozzle mouth or opening at the bottom thereof through which air is sucked by an air-moving motor fan unit. Frequently, a rotary brush is mounted adacent to the nozzle mouth for contacting a floor surface to agitate and loosen the dirt so that it may be sucked free of the surface. Usually, wheels for rolling the head of the cleaner on the floor are provided and the head is guided by means of a handle. The most common household cleaning chore involves the cleaning of carpeting and rugs and an upright cleaner is normally best suited for such usage. However, there is frequent requirement for above-the-floor cleaning of such items as furniture, walls, ceilings, draperies, general dusting and other chores with which the householder is all too familiar. A conventional upright cleaner is useless for these functions. A canister type vacuum cleaner is normally used for such above-the-floor cleaning chores and includes a hose connected to the canister cleaner which provides the suction means. The other extremity of the hose is adapted to selectively receive any one of a plurality of interchangeable accessory nozzles.
In order to minimize the need for a household to have these two types of cleaners, there have been attempts to convert one type of cleaner to the use usually reserved for the other type. For example, canister cleaners have been provided with motor means associated with the floor nozzle for driving a rotary brush to simulate the action of an upright cleaner. In addition, attachments have been provided for an upright cleaner to convert it to above-the-floor cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,996,748 issued Aug. 22, 1961 to Gidezendanner teaches an attachment adaptor for an upright vacuum cleaner that requires coupling an adaptor to the bottom of the upright cleaner floor nozzle using a cover plate arranged to cover the mouth of the suction nozzle. A resilient strap is also used to connect the adaptor to engage the upright handle to secure the assembly. By present standards, this is an awkward and inconvenient technique.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,273,194 issued Sept. 20, 1966 to Jepson, et at discloses an upright cleaner which does not include a power driven brush in the floor nozzle. When it is desired to convert this cleaner to use an attachment for above-the-floor cleaning chores, a separable cap is removed from the rear and a hose connector is inserted into the opening from which the separable cap was removed. Affixed to the connector is a pair of floor engaging legs and the operating handle is tilted backwards until the legs engage the floor. This combination is provided in order to allow movement of the cleaner in response to a pull exerted on the hose. This cleaner is an improvement over prior art devices but is somewhat unstable in operation due to the fact that the hose plugs into the cleaner at a level appreciably above floor level and therefore, in response to a pull on the hose, there is a probability of tipping over the cleaner. In addition, there is a probability of misplacement and loss of the separable cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,300,806 issued Jan. 31, 1967 to Ripple discloses an upright vacuum cleaner including means for attaching a hose for above-the-floor cleaning. This system requires an auxiliary or conduit hose between the floor nozzle and the housing cover surrounding the handle together with valve means for controlling the flow of air as required for the two different types of operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,751 issued Mar. 11, 1975 to Boyd et al discloses a convertible cleaner which requires a manually operable valve means for switching the suction from the floor nozzle to the plugged in hose. The patent teaches an interlock that requires the user to adjust the valve to the required position for upright cleaner use prior to removal of the hose which adapts the cleaner for above-the-floor use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,505 issued Feb. 22, 1977 to Clowers discloses a convertible cleaner which provides a bulky apparatus that is connected to the bottom side of the floor nozzle of the upright cleaner. This technique is similar to some of the earliest attempts to provide conversion between upright and canister cleaners.